Liheap-2026 - low income home energy assistance

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families awarded $110.003 million to the Department of Human Rights Iowa on October 1, 2025, under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (CFDA 93.568), a formula grant supporting utility bill assistance and energy crisis intervention for qualifying low-income Iowa households through September 30, 2027.

The recipient operates the funding as the state-level administrative entity, passing substantially all resources through a network of 16 community action agencies across Iowa's 99 counties. Sub-recipients deliver direct assistance including utility payment help, heating and cooling cost reduction, energy crisis intervention payments, client services, energy efficiency counseling, and weatherization. Named sub-recipients include Operation Threshold Inc., Community Action of Southeast Iowa, Mid-Sioux Opportunity Inc., Impact Community Action Partnership Inc., West Central Community Action, Community Opportunities Inc., Community Action of Eastern Iowa, Hawkeye Area Community Action Program Inc., Matura Action Corporation, North Iowa Community Action, Northeast Iowa Community Action Corp, Mid-Iowa Community Action Mica Inc., Southern Iowa Economic Development Association, South Central Iowa Community Action Program Inc., Upper DES Moines Opportunity Inc., and Community Action Agency of Siouxland. Sub-awards began flowing in late January 2026 and continued through August 2026.

The program assists eligible low-income households—homeowners and renters—in payment of residential heating costs for the winter heating season, encourages regular utility payments, promotes energy awareness, and supports energy usage reduction through client education and weatherization. Place of performance is Iowa.